Ingredients:

For the Victoria Sponge (3 layers):

• 150g Butter
• 150g Caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 150g Plain flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½  tsp. baking powder

For the Lemon curd:

• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
• 50ml lemon juice
• 50g caster sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Pinch of salt
• 30g butter, cubed and chilled

Candied Walnuts:

• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• Pinch of salt

Marshmallow frosting (for the top):

• 1 egg white
• 110 g caster sugar
• 20 g honey
• ¼ tsp salt

Assembly:

• 3-4 tbsp raspberry jam
• 2 cups Sweetened whipped cream
• Colourful candy for decorating

Process:

Making the sponge:

1. Preheat your oven. Grease and line 7-inch baking tins.
2. Cream the butter and sugar till pale in colour. (approximately 5 minutes)
3. Add in eggs one at a time and mix well.
4. Add in vanilla and milk. Give it a final mix.
5. Sift in the dry ingredients and lightly fold it all in.
6. Divide the batter equally among 3 tins.
7. Bake at 165°C for 20-25 minutes or until skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
8. Cool cakes in the tin for 30 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely.

 Note: I baked two layers as one cake and the third layer separately. You could also bake one whole cake and cut it into 3 layers. This cake would take longer to cook – about 50 to 60 minutes. However, baking individual layers makes a lighter cake.

Making the lemon curd:

1. Mix all the ingredients except the butter.
2. Cook them over a bain-marie (double boiler) till the mixture thickens.
3. Take off the heat and strain the mixture while it’s still hot.
4. Whisk in the butter and store in an airtight container to cool down in the fridge.

Note: It’s preferable to prepare the lemon curd the night before making the cake. This ensures it sets properly.

Making the candied walnuts:

1. Lightly toast the walnuts in a pan. Take them out on a plate
2. Add sugar to the pan and let it melt.
3. Once the sugar has melted and turned a light golden, add the walnuts back in and mix well.
4. Cook the walnuts until the sugar turns a deep caramel colour.
5. Remove candied walnuts on a silicon mat or greased baking sheet and spread it out.
6. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes. Let cool completely before using.

Making the marshmallow frosting:

1. Mix all the ingredients
2. Cook over a bain-marie till the sugar dissolves completely. (test the mixture between your fingers to check.)
3. Take off the heat and whisk using an electric mixer till the mixture triples in volume and is glossy with firm peaks, about 5 minutes.

Note: I would suggest making this frosting after you have assembled your cake and left it in the fridge to set. To prevent the frosting from hardening, leave it over the bain-marie with the heat turned off.

Assembling the cake:

1. Heat the jam in a microwave for 30 seconds to loosen it up.
2. Whip up some whipping cream with a little powdered sugar till it reaches soft peaks. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
3. Cut your cake in 3 even layers (if you have baked one cake)
4. Begin layering your cake on a cake board or serving dish.
5. Spread a thick layer of whipped cream on the base layer and then lemon curd on top of it.
6. Place the second layer of cake over it.
7. Repeat a layer of whipped cream and then raspberry jam on top of it.
8. Top with the final layer and store in the fridge to set for 30 minutes.
9. Once the cake is set, decorate the top with marshmallow frosting.
10. Using a blowtorch, toast the marshmallow frosting lightly until golden brown.
11. Top with candied walnuts and colourful candy or sprinkles. Your cake is now ready!

Some important pointers:

1. While filling the layers with cream, keep the filling a good inch in from the edge of the cake. This is because once you go on building the layers, the filling will spread out to the edges because of the weight. 
2. If you do not have a blow torch, you can also toast the marshmallow frosting in an oven. Simply leave out the top layer of the cake and decorate it with the frosting separately. Put it in the oven at the highest temperature, on the topmost level and remove once the frosting has turned golden brown. Once the layer has cooled down a bit, place it on top of the cake.